A December to Remember
by AriDaughterofZeus
Summary: When a young girl needs help to escape London during a crisis, the Doctor steps in. An intelligent twelve-year-old with the occasional odd request, she fits in perfectly with the ragtag bunch he's had before. But she has a secret which she has no intent to reveal-until it could be too late for both of them.
1. Prologue

**A/N: I'm sorry if you read any of my other stories. I don't update often. But hopefully, I can do one chapter a month with this story. Possibly more. This story will be posted over the span of one year, from this December to next. I hope you enjoy it.**

**This is only the prologue. A full thousand-word chapter should be posted within a day or two.**

**And for anyone who wonders where the phone number comes from, it's from the end of ****_Stolen Earth._**** It was Martha's number until she gave her phone to Ten. I copied it down, intending to use it in some story or other. And here it is.**

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Martha POV:

07700-906741

I dialed the number, frantic. He picked up within two seconds.

"Martha?"

"We need you again, Doctor."

"What now?"

"Spaceship. Being dismissed as a hoax, but UNIT knows better. I've asked Jack, too, and he agrees."

"But what _happened_?"

"Two plague-ridden Raxacoricofallapatorians crashed into a farmer's field. He was the first victim. His wife and family were next. The whole town was destroyed within two weeks."

"No..."

"Yes. And it's reached London. We've stopped the spread, but we haven't found a cure. And we need you to get one girl out. UNIT's next recruit, if we can help it. Of course, Jack wants her for Torchwood, but it's her decision. But if she's sick, then neither of us gets her."

"So you need me to take her."

"Yes."

"Give me two minutes."

I hung up, looking at the young orphan behind me. The twelve-year-old glanced up from her chair.

"You're going to be safe now, Ashe. You're safe."


	2. Chapter One

**A/N: I'm back! Was not expecting so many people to read the story! Luckily, there's time to write in school. I've got a new chapter already, and another is on its way.**

**Forgot the disclaimer in the last chapter. I am not Moffat, and therefore do not own Doctor Who.**

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Ashe POV:

I wait.

I know this won't be good. Martha called him the Doctor. That means poking and prodding and making me talk. And I hate all three of those things.

Of course, Martha's a doctor, too. But she knows I prefer no touching and little talking. I look at her, asking the silent question.

"I'll tell him, Ashe. Don't worry." I nod, hoping he's nice enough to listen.

I hear a faint whirring sound. Martha stands up from the spot she took next to me. Walking to the window, she smiles. "He's here."

"Not a car?"

"No, he doesn't drive. Come see." I approach her, confused. Looking out, I see an old police box. A man steps out of it, wearing a brown trenchcoat. He looks up at the window and waves.

"That's him. The Doctor."

"Not..."

"He's awesome. I'll go let him in." Martha goes downstairs, still happy.

As her footsteps recede into the distance, I think to myself. She's calling him _the _Doctor. A simple little word is very important in this case.

Maybe he just calls himself the Doctor. Maybe it's a joke between Martha and an old friend. I hope it is.

I hear them coming, and approach the door. Martha's words are clear.

"Now, remember, no touching her, no matter what. And if she doesn't want to speak, don't force her. Do you know any sign language?"

"Are you kidding? A secret hobby of mine for the past two centuries."

"What about American?"

"Why?"

"She grew up in New York. When her mother died, her father came back to work for UNIT. He investigated the deaths from the plague, and brought the trouble back to London. He died from it."

"But sign language?"

"She has trouble speaking sometimes. Today's been a bad day for her, too. She's absolutely exhausted after a nightmare last night."

"We can still talk?"

"Yeah, but quietly." I open the door, carefully looking out to where they stand on the landing.

The Doctor is really tall, unlike my petite frame. His dark hair, however, is a bit like mine. I look at him as he turns around, but quickly look away before his eyes meet mine.

"Hello, Ashe. It's very nice to meet you."

_Nice to meet you, too,_ I sign. I don't want to give away how relieved I am, but I t hink it's pretty clear. He's nice enough that he doesn't bother asking why he can't touch. He hasn't yet insisted that I speak, even though I'm too exhausrted to try. He's far better than most people, that's for sure. He doesn't yet mind me being myself.

"Now, I don't want you getting sick, Ashe. Let's get your bags." Martha and I each take a suitcase, and the Doctor grabs my backpack.

We step outside, and I wait. I don't know where we're going. But the Doctor leads me over to the police box.

I freeze. It's way too small for both of us to fit inside. "No," I mutter, my head craning back as my mind searches for a way out.

Martha gasps. "Ashe, you go in. Doctor, stay out for a minute. Let her see. Give her time." I glance back at the before stepping inside.

It's huge.

"Trans-d." Martha looks at me as I slowly spin in a circle. At her questioning look, I sign, _Trans-dimentional phone box. Neat. _She laughs.

"Can we come in, Ashe?" I nod, and the two of them enter quietly.

I look around, wondering how it can be quite so huge. Three-way transdimentionality, something physics has proven impossible. Yet here it is.

Unconsciously, I slowly raise my hands until they're straight out in front of me. This has to be an illusion. Only black holes can break the laws of nature. And besides, trans-dimensionality is a pet project of one or two scientists. There's hardly anything involving it! This is-

"It's all real, Ashe." I spin around, my hands flying to my sides. The Doctor is standing what I would normally think of as a few feet behind me.

"How..."

"It's called the TARDIS. Short for Time and Relative Dimension in Space. She's my home."

"Earth?" I ask, already suspecting otherwise.

"No. You're pretty quick, Ashe." He approaches me, hand up as if to ruffle my hair.

My instincts kick in. This is not to be allowed. My hands ball up as I step back. My eyes go wide as hyperprocessing begins.

He freezes. I freeze. "Sorry," we mutter.

Martha looks at me for only a second before stepping in. "Let's get you settled in," she says quietly, anxious to get me away from the confrontation.

The two of them talk as we head through the TARDIS. I zone out as we walk, but after a couple of minutes, we reach a door. "Your room, Ashe," the Doctor says.

I step inside, wondering how it will be. I relax as soon as I see it. Light blue walls, no hint of yellow or red. A bed pushed into the corner with black blankets. A small piano in the opposite corner. One door into the bathroom, the other into my closet.

Perfection. This is my room.

"How?" I ask quietly, staring in wonder at the architectural drawings pinned up on the wall. Exact copies of mine.

"The TARDIS guessed. She's pretty good at figuring out what people like." The Doctor puts my backpack on my bed, then steps out.

Martha approaches me. "Do you mind if I stay for a few minutes? I won't see you guys for a while." I nod, sitting down at the piano.

My eyes close as I feel the keys. Each is familiar to me. The chip on middle c is even there, just like at home. I faintly smile. As my hands start playing, left hand taking bass and right on melody, I realize something.

Until I return to London, the TARDIS will be my home.


	3. Chapter Two

**A/N: I'm back! Updates may still be scarce, especially because my friends have chosen me to direct our Doctor Who tribute episode this spring. But school does provide me enough time to write, and there should be another chapter typed up and posted before the New Year. Merry Christmas, everyone!**

**Disclaimer: My last name is a derivative of the French word for strength. It is not Moffat. Besides, I'm a girl!**

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When I finish playing after a few minutes, I hear quiet applause. "Great job, Ashe. I haven't heard you play in forever." I laugh.

Martha gets up from her spot on my bed."I've got to get back to base, Ashe. I'll ask the Doctor to bring you back in a few months."

"Christmas?"

"You'll have to miss it. I can't risk you getting sick. But all of your books are in the second suitcase, so you can keep up with school."

"Christmas!"

Martha sighs. "No, Ashe, you can't have Christmas this year. I'm sorry, but that's final." I punch my bed, frustrated. Christmas is _important_ for me. It's the one constant in my crazy life. If I don't have Christmas, I'll probably feel like time hasn't gone by in a year. My mind_ needs_ Christmas to stay sane.

I look at Martha, eyes wide. She shakes her head. "I've got to head back to UNIT, Ashe. I'll see you." She walks away.

I walk behind her, just far enough that she won't realize. She turns the corner, and when I turn after her, I see the entrance room again. But I didn't reverse my steps from before. The TARDIS is seriously transdimensional.

Martha is talking to the Doctor, but they're too quiet for me to hear them. Eventually, I see them hug from my spot in the shadows, and Martha leaves.

I slowly approach the Doctor as he runs around the... _thing _in the middle of the room.

"Hello, Ashe. Just give me a minute." I nod as he slows down, pressing one last button while pulling a lever. "There we go."

He turns around, smiling. "Welcome to the TARDIS!"

He leads me around on a tour. "She's constantly redesigning herself. If you ever need a specific room, just think of it. I have the feeling she likes you." I hear quiet humming from the walls. A sentient spaceship. Okay.

The Doctor shows me around the kitchen, where I determine he has a peculiar affinity for bananas. Next, we head to the lounge, where he shows me a list of games for the dozen or so consoles he has plugged in. Our third stop is the gym, though he insists that it's more of a playground for teenagers and adults. I climb inside the giant bouncy castle, and we enjoy ourselves for a few minutes.

"Let's go in the pool," he calls. I freeze, but he just rolls his eyes. "Oh, don't be a pussycat. There are extra swimsuits in the changing room." He points for my benefit.

I step inside, hearing absolutely nothing. Silence is golden. I agree with him-the TARDIS must like me a lot. It offers me a rack of different swimsuits, all different colors and materials. I touch each one before picking a navy blue tank top with grey shorts. Simple, yet perfect.

Stepping outside with my new clothes on, I see the Doctor is already in the pool, wearing black swim shorts. "The water's warm, Ashe! I'll catch you!" he calls, pausing in his laps to help me.

"No."

"Why?" I shrug in response, but I do let my feet dangle over the edge of the pool. "Spoilsport," he mutters. Suddenly, he grabs my feet and pulls me underwater.

"Help!" I scream, flailing around and attempting to keep my head above the water.

"I've got you, Ashe. Whoa. Shh." The Doctor gently takes my hands, gripping them to keep me afloat. "Can't you swim?"

"My coordination's awful."

"Okay, then." He pulls me to the edge. "You'll have to practice this kind of thing before we can explore."

"Explore?" I ask, climbing out. I've stayed at home my whole life, wherever home was at the time. Exploration means facing the unknown. That's not enjoyable.

"Or, of course, wecould just stay in the TARDIS."

"Stay, then." I head to the changing room. Somehow, just the few minutes of exercise have already exhausted me.

I look at the rack of clothes. I'm sure, with all of these spares, the TARDIS won't mind my taking my favorite. It hums in response.

Drying off quickly, I put my regular clothes-a simple grey shirt and soft jeans-back on. Even though I hurried, though, the Doctor has disappeared by the time I come out.

I retrace my steps as best as I can. Still, I'm lost within a few minutes. I think of my room, and the TARDIS hums quietly, reassuring me.

I cough.

All of a sudden, I can't stop coughing. Just like Dad.

I bend over in an attempt to quiet myself down. By the time my coughing subsides a few minutes later, my throat is raw.

"Ashe, where are you?" I hear my name being called in the distance. The Doctor's cries are frantic.

"Help," I croak, hoping he hears me. He doesn't, and his calls grow quieter.

_Clap. Clap. Clap. Whistle. Whistle. Whistle. Clap. Clap. Clap._

"I hear you, Ashe. Keep it up." So he knows Morse code. He recognized my SOS. That's good.

I repeat my message three more times before he turns the corner. He barely glances at me before realizing that something happened.

"Oh, no. Can you walk, Ashe?" I shake my head."Can I carry you?" I nod weakly, and he slips one arm under my knees and the other under my shoulders.

He runs with me through the halls of the TARDIS. When we reach our destination, he mutters "Medbay" while shoving the door open with one shoulder.

The first thing I notice is the smell-or more, the absence of one. He said medbay, didn't he? Why doesn't it have that awful smell?

The Doctor carefully lowers me onto a bed as he pulls something out of his pocket. "I'm just scanning you, Ashe. Shh. This is a sonic screwdriver. It can do pretty much anything, except for-"

_Deadlocks,_ I sign._ Too specific._

He stares at me. "Martha told you?"

_No. I figured it out._

Smiling, he moves the sonic screwdriver over my body. "You're seriously good, Ashe. One second." As he walks to the counter, I close my eyes. "Stay awake, Ashe." I sigh.

Opening my eyes, I watch as he comes back.

_Too bright. Hurts._

"I'll turn it down, Ashe. But first, news." I look at him weakly. "Bad news first. Yes, it's Raxacoricofallapatorian plague." I groan. "Good news, though: your mother had the recessive defense in her genetic code. I'm surprised Martha didn't realize. She passed it on to you." I smile as he walks away, decreasing the lighting. "You'll still be coughing, but it'll be gone within a few days."

_Days? It hurts. _I look him in the eye for once, pleading.

"If you're sure you want something, Ashe." I nod, and he walks back to the counter. I look around the dimly-lit room, noticing the locks on some cabinet doors. Martha told me she did that at one point, just in case someone else got inside.

Finally, he turns around from his place at the counter. "I'm warning you, Ashe, this stuff tastes awful." I foll my eyes. Taking the offered cup, I swallow it quickly.

_Good thing I don't taste._ He bursts out laughing.

"I'll get something to do until the medicine starts working. What do you want?"

"What is that circle language?" I croak, my mind racing.

"Gallifreyan. Why?"

"Teach me."

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**Please review! All reviews receive virtual Nestle Tollhouse cookies! **

**PS Sorry for any mistakes, this is all on my Kindle.**


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